Joseph b



Patented Mar. 2|, I899 J. B. CHAMBERLAIN. MECHANICAL Movamam.

(Application filed Oct. 21, 1897. Renewed Aug, 23, 1898.) (No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT union.

JOSEPH B. CHAMBERLAIN, OF WVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

M ECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,487, dated March21, 1899.

- Application filed October 21, 1897. Renewed August 23, 1898. SerialNo. 689,345. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern: I

Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. CHAMBER- LAIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at \Vashington, in the District of Columbia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Movements;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby movement orforce transmitted may at will be gradually varied between a maximum andzero independently of variation in the actuating movement or force. Thisend is attained by combining with a powertransmitting lever meanswhereby one of its arms mayat will be given any length between a maximumand zero. In the better forms of the invention the changes may be madegradually while the apparatus is in motion, it being quite practicableto vary gradually from zero to a maximum, and vice versa, the speed ofdevices operated by the lever, the possible force exerted varying, ofcourse, inversely with the speed.

The apparatus is especially adapted to meet the requirements ofmotor-carriages but it is by no means limited to such use.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings,wherein- Figure l is a side elevation of the devices. Fig. 2 shows thesame devices looking from the right in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an axialsection through a certain sleeve and its gudgeons or trunnions.

The lever is shown as transmitting power by means of a segment engaginga gear; but it is to be noted that this is but one of many possibledevices.

In the drawings wherever the letters occur, A is a gear mounted upon ashaft B, and D is a segment engaging the gear and borne by a radialpower-transmitting lever G.

E E are rigidly fixed bars, one 011 each side of the segment andparallel to its plane, and upon each of these works a fulcrum-slide F.-Upon the lever G is a sleeve I, provided with gudgeons J, projectingoppositely in the same line and working in bearings in the slides F,respectively. The lever is prevented from sliding longitudinally bylinks H II, pivotally connecting the power-arm of the lever with thegear or its shaft. Power is conveniently applied to the lever throughthese links,which are connected at any desired point-for example, atM-with the source of power. The slides F are at will moved in eitherdirection along the bars E by any suitable means, a forked lever L,having its branches slotted to engage vstuds N upon the slides, beingselected for illustration. The sleeve I is slotted at K to pass over thesegment and gear in order that the axis of its gudgeons may be carriedup to the. line of engagement of the segment and gear-thatis, to theextreme end of the lever-arm. Now if reciprocating motion be given toany part M of the links the lever G will be oscillated about the axis ofthe fulcrum-gudgeons J and the gear will move back and forth through anarc varying with the position of that axis, whose distance from the gearis the working arm of the lever; but by swinging the lever L toward thegear, which in no way affects the movements of the links H, the slides Fare moved along the bars E, the sleeve I is drawn forward, and theworking arm of the lever G is gradually reduced to zero,-when it ceasesto impartmotion to the gear. Obviously whenever the working arm of thelever becomes zero no work is done whatever the mechanical devicethrough which that arm acts upon the work, and hence, broadlyconsidered, the invention includes all possible devices at this point.

In the form of the inventionillustrated and in some others only aportion of the gear A is used, and although it is shown entire it is notnecessarily so, and the word gear is ,herein used to designate any gear,toothed or frictional, entire or mutilated. Whatever movement istransmitted to the gear may be transmitted from it by a suitable clutchor other mechanism. I have shown only a single segment giving onlyreciprocating movement and capable of imparting only step-bystep motion.This course has been followed because the simple form shows what isconceived to be the gist of the invention, but my practical constructionhas not been thus limited.

It is evident that changes in construction can be made while keepingwithin the invention, and I therefore wish to claim the inven tion bothbroadly and specifically.

WVhat I claim is 1. The combination with a power-transmitting lever, ofa fulcrum for the lever, means for at will sliding the fulcrum to theend of the lever-arm, means for swinging the lever about thefulcrun1axis, and means for holding a point in the lever at a constantdistance from a fixed point without said axis.

- 2. The combination with a power-transmitting lever, of a fulcrum forthe lever, means for at will sliding the fulcrum to the end of thelever, and a pivotally-attached link holding a point of the lever at aconstant distance from a fixed point not the fulcrum.

The combination with a shaft and a gear thereon, of a segment engagingthe gear and borne by a lever pivotally supported upon a transverseaxis, a link swinging about the axis of the gear and pivotally fixed atits opposite end to said lever, and means for at will varying thedistance of the pivotal axis of the lever from the axis of the gear.

4. The combination with a suitably-mounted gear, of a segment engagingsaid gear and borne by a lever, a fixed bar parallel to the plane of thelever-segment, a slide working upon said bar, a fulcrum-pivot working insaid slide and in sliding engagement with the lever, means for swingingthe lever about the axis of said pivot, and means for at will graduallymoving the slide along the bar.

5. The combination with a suitably-mounted gear, of a segment engagingsaid gear and borne by a lever, a movable fulcrum sliding along thelever, means for swinging the lever about the fulcrumaxis, and means forat will moving the fulcrum in a fixed path parallel to the plane of thesegment.

In testimony whereof I af'fix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH B. CHAMBERLAIN.

Witnesses:

\V. R. EASTMAN, WALLACE GREENE.

